This is Alan Condon with the Becker's
ASC Podcast,
and I'm thrilled to be joined today by
Angie Jimenez, the CEO
of Puerto Rico ASC Holding,
which I believe manages three ambulatory surgery centers.
Angie, a real pleasure to have you on
the podcast with us today. Delighted to dive
into this discussion and hear a little bit
more about your you and your company.
But before we do, can you kind of
give us a little bit more insight into
your role and your background at Puerto Rico
ASC Holding?
Sure, Alan. First, thank you a lot for
having me,
here with you. It's a real pleasure.
Again, I will I will do a short
disclosure.
English is not my first language, but I
will try to do my best. So sorry
my pronunciation.
As you mentioned, my name is Angie Jimenez
Gonzalez, and I serve as the CEO and
administrator of Puerto Rico Ambulatory
Holding Company.
I start my professional career as an ophthalmic
technician. So I'm very passionate about eye surgery.
Later I finished a bachelor degree in health
sciences with a concentration in administration
and began working as a clinical instructor
in the School of Health Related Professional at
the Medical Sciences Campus in the University of
Puerto Rico.
While I was working there, I complete a
master degree in public health education
and also I meet my current employer.
I start my role managing a LASIK center.
And from there, twenty years ago, the idea
of developing an outstanding ASC was born,
and I was asked to complete a master
degree in health service administration to become a
licensed administrator and be in charge of that
development.
So at Puerto Rico SC, my major responsibility
is growth and oversee the operation of our
network. Currently, we have three ambulatory surgical centers
and collectively we are supported by a talented
team of 100 surgeons,
10 anesthesiologists,
and 110
dedicated
employees.
Let me talk to you a little bit
about our three centers.
Our first center is VISTA.
It's a single specialty ophthalmic facility with four
ORs.
VISTA perform eleven thousand cases a year annually.
The second center is named CALMA.
It was acquired last year and is a
multi specialty
facility with two hours
currently focused
mainly on ophthalmology
and some pain management procedures.
We have grown its facility to 3,000 cases
by the end of twenty twenty four.
And here we are working
for a full remodelation of the facility to
develop a new AR, bringing the center with
a total of OR to three.
And our third facility is Kawas ASC. It's
a state of the art multi specialty center
with six ORs offering services across,
ophthalmology,
ENT,
urology,
podiatry
and orthopedics.
Here what sets us apart is our
pioneer ambulatory total joint replacement program.
Actually we are the first and only ASC
in Puerto Rico performing those procedures.
This facility, Kawas ASC performed over 7,000 cases
last year and the total joint replacement
program since its inception three years ago has
performed more than 1,600
cases.
So that's basically,
my background and my role at Puerto Rico
ISE.
Yeah. Fantastic. No. Thank you so much for
the breakdown, not just of of your role,
but also your makeup of your company as
well. So really, really busy by the sounds
of things. But between those three different ASCs,
a hundred surgeons, I believe you said 10
anesthesiologists,
numerous employees as well, and perform thousands
of cases a year between those three centers.
It sounds like a very busy, very challenging,
but exciting operation,
Angie.
Do you mind talking to me about
what are kind of the two or three
kind of key trends
that you're paying most attention to in the
a s ASC space today?
Sure.
For sure, it is. My my job is
super,
funny. I enjoy my my I work and
and I love what I do. So seems
to be busy, but I'm I'm truly happy
about having a lot of people that helps
doing our our job. So, yeah, it's it's
it's very funny and very and very excited.
Regarding the trends that you are mentioning that
we are following,
I think that the health care industry is
evolving at an unprecedented pace and several trends
are capturing my attention. I will set first,
of course, the shift toward outpatient care. We
know,
that advances in technology,
anesthesia,
and surgical techniques,
are enabling more complex procedure to transitioning from
hospital to ASC.
We are currently exploring the integration of cardiovascular
and spine procedures into a four facility that
we are developing right now.
A multi special DIC
designated with a hospitality component to attract medical
tourism patients.
I will say that another trend that I'm
looking,
closely is the workforce
challenge.
As in the state, the shortage of skilled
health care professionals,
including nurses and surgical technicians,
remain a significant challenge to us.
Here to address these, we have implemented
strategies like offering competitive pays,
scholarships,
flexible scales, and fostering a supportive work culture
to retain
our top talent personnel.
And I will say that the third will
be,
the adoption of artificial intelligence.
I think artificial intelligence is transforming the industry
and particularly in areas like medical billing and
revenue cycle management.
It's streamlined process, reduced errors, enhanced efficiency, allowing
facilities to focus on what really cares, you
know, is the is the patient care.
So even though we have not
adopted any of this, technology
yet, We are very vigilant to these updates
on on this matter. I will say that
will be the three things.
Yeah. I think I think one kind of
follow-up question that I'd be really interested in
and no doubt our our listeners would be
interested in is when you'd mentioned about,
medical tourism patients, I believe
what what specialties
would those medical tourism patients be most interested
in? Kind of can you share how you're
planning to attract more medical tourism patients? Do
they come primarily from The US, Canada, or
other countries? Be curious to hear about that.
Yes. We are focusing on orthopedic patients,
basically,
because of our joint replacement program.
Actually, we are super about we are super
excited about a recent strategic alliance that we
did with the Medical Tourism Association
and the launch of a platform. It's the
name of the platform is Better Platform in
partnership with Mastercard.
And within that is a significant
milestone for all because we are hoping this
collaboration position Puerto Rico
as a premier destination for medical tourism
patients from the mainline and from the Caribbean
Islands.
Mhmm.
Interesting. Okay. That that's certainly,
an exciting and interesting aspect of your ASC.
What are you most excited about, Angie, when
you think about, the future of your company
ASCs?
Yeah. Of course.
I will say it again, this this, strategic
alliance with the Medical Tourism Association, we are
very excited about that. And we are also
focused in the development of our fourth center,
Santurce ASC.
It would be
a multi specialty
facility that will
turn us as the great manager in Puerto
Rico of different facilities.
And we are also exploring new merger and
acquisitions
opportunities both within Puerto Rico
and beyond to continue expanding our our network.
Fantastic. And that kind of ties directly into
my last question here. It sounds like to
you to your point, you you're very busy,
but you absolutely love it. Busy is great.
You work with a fantastic team of people
around you. It sounds like orthopedics,
cardiovascular
care. You're working on your fourth,
ASC, I believe you said as well. Medical
tourism is a big component.
How are you thinking about a lot of
growth there already, but how are you thinking
about growth of twelve months? Is there anything
else you want to expand on there?
Yes. I mean, I will say that,
our growth strategy over the next year, I
will say that it's focused on three areas,
expanding our services,
enhancing patient outcomes,
and positioning Puerto Rico as a leader in
medical tourism. For example, for expanding our services,
I already told you that we are working
on our first third of the art,
development.
This facility,
we are we are targeting to to include
the cardiovascular and spine procedure for offering patient
advanced care that is, you know, traditionally traditionally
available mainly at hospital.
And of course, we are looking into adding
the hospitality component to
tourism patients.
Also at Kawas ISD, one of our centers,
we are we are working into
adding an extra OR.
So at the end of the year, we
hope to end with seven ORs.
And at CALMA,
one other of the center, we are working
for developing an extra OR also to bring
the facility to three ORs. So in summary,
we are managing right now 12
ORs between the three centers.
And in the next twelve months, we will
have over
14
facilities and hopefully six under development with this
new center.
The other area, which is enhancing our patients'
outcome by straightening
the total joint replacement program,
for us this pioneer program will remain the
centerpiece of our growth.
We aim to obtain additional
standing with the program certification
and increase our volume while maintaining exceptional outcomes
and patient satisfaction
that has made it a benchmark here in
Puerto Rico Science. We are the only facility
doing this in the ambulatory field.
And I will say that,
for growing in the next twelve months, we
are,
building this strategic partnership with Mastercard.
Sorry. With the Medical Tourism Association in collaboration
with Mastercard,
we will focus to leveraging
this alliance to attract international patients and further
establish Puerto Rico, as I mentioned before, as
a premier destination for high quality
surgical
care. Mhmm. It sounds like certainly a lot
going on. A very exciting time certainly,
for you and your team. I I know
I said last question, but I had one
last last question. I promise that's what I'm
talking about.
I I think think we I imagine with
with the opening of this, new ASC, these
new OORs, no doubt you'll be adding more
physicians, more surgeons.
I think one challenge that we hear from
ASCs, particularly within the on the Mainland in
The US, is how difficult they have found
it recently to attract,
retain some of these
latest and greatest physicians coming out of fellowships
and and residencies and whatnot.
Are you facing similar challenges, or are you
not not seeing that as much in Puerto
Rico? It sounds like you've got a fantastic
team there, a ton of growth. Are you
looking to attract any physicians from the Mainland
or is it from Puerto Rico or you're
kind of casting a wide net?
Yeah. Basically,
I think that Puerto Rico
is the same as The States. I mean,
we are we are suffering because we need
more,
specialized care and and, of course, more surgeon.
I think we are lucky that, our physicians
train basically on the state universities
and they they they want to come back
to Puerto Rico.
And like they want to come back to
Puerto Rico, one thing that I will say
that has been easy for us
is that
surgeons are already
used to train in this ambulatory
surgical setting. And they would when they come
back to Puerto Rico,
they are super excited that they can have
the type of facility that they train in
Puerto Rico. Because, you know, that,
it was there there there are not that
many surgical centers in Puerto Rico. Basically, all
the centers are
almost single specialty. There is a lot of
eye centers,
urology,
gastroenterology.
But mostly specialty centers, there are not that
many. So,
seems to be difficult, but for us has
been a blast that the doctors
really want to come
back to Puerto Rico and that are already
has been used to train in this type
of facility
in The States.
Yeah. I just recently had a a trip
to San Juan and absolutely loved it. The
people, the culture, the food, so I can
see why they wanna come back.
Angie, it's been We are in paradise. Remember?
We are in the tropical weather. No no
no snow. You know, it's it's it's a
blessing living here. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I know
they'll be back sometime soon. Angie, I really,
really appreciate,
you taking the time to speak with us.
It's been a fascinating conversation.
Sounds like a ton of exciting things coming
down the line for you and your team.
Congratulations on all your hard work, and I
look forward to catching up with you again
down the line.
Sure. Thank you.